Department for Transport

Aviation: Northern Ireland

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on the Airports Commission: Final report, published July 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There have been no recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Airports Commission’s Final Report.

Aviation: Security

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has published on the use of plastic bags to contain liquids as passengers pass through aviation security.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has published for the aviation industry on the definition of liquid.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has published on the size of plastic bags used to carry liquids through airport security.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport has published guidance for passengers and industry on the GOV.UK website on the use of plastic bags to carry liquids through UK airport security. This includes advice on the nature of the plastic bag required. Many UK airports also provide guidance on their websites.The Civil Aviation Authority provides advice and guidance for airports on the definition of a liquid. The main regulation covering liquids, aerosols and gels, EU Regulation 185/2010 also sets out the rules and requirements.

Aviation: Security

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what variations his Department allows between security measures applied at airports.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All airports in the UK are, as a minimum, required to meet the statutory security requirements set out in the UK National Aviation Security Programme (NASP). This comprises of EU requirements and some UK specific more stringent measures. The airports are responsible for the implementation of the requirements. Security at the airports is multi-layered and may include a number of different screening procedures and equipment in order to deliver the required security standards. It is also open to airports to have in place security measures additional to those required by regulation.For obvious reasons it would not be appropriate to provide details on the specific security measures being applied. We do however keep aviation security measures under constant review.

Department for Transport: Families

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to embed the Family Test into its policy making.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test on cross government activity to embed the Test into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant learning materials and best practice.

Children: Walking

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on achieving the target of 55 per cent of primary school children walking to school by 2025.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government is developing new ambitions for walking as part of its legal obligation, as set out in the Infrastructure Act 2015, to have in place a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS). The target for walking set out in the Cycling Delivery Plan, to increase the percentage of primary school children walking to school to 55 per cent by 2025, will be considered as part of that process.My Department intends to publish the first CWIS in summer 2016 and will be announcing a series of supporting documents leading up to this, including an Ambition document.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2015 to Question 14816, how much funding was allocated to local authorities for road resurfacing in 2014-15.

Andrew Jones: For 2014/15, the Department for Transport allocated £1.133 billion of funding to local authorities in England for highways maintenance, comprising maintenance block funding, block funding top-up and the pothole repair fund, plus the winter weather repair fund which was allocated in March 2014 but where most of the money would have been spent in 2014/15. This sum represents record funding over the two Parliaments from 2005/06 to 2014/15 for local roads maintenance. (Note that in the figure above London is not allocated maintenance block funding). It is for local authorities to determine how this money is spent, according to local priorities. This includes road resurfacing, as well as other work on the highways network, which includes roads, street lighting and bridges.

Railways: Franchises

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many open access contracts operate on the railway; and how many such contracts are currently under consideration.

Claire Perry: There are now three open access operators running passenger services on the national rail network, with a fourth planning to start in 2018. Applications from two further operators are currently under consideration by the Office of Rail and Road.

Cycling and Walking

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2015 to Question 15352, on Cycling and Walking, which stakeholder groups his Department has engaged with since July 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Since July 2015, my Department has been engaging with a range of stakeholders and most notably with members of its former High level Group of Cycling and Walking Stakeholders, to develop the various elements that will form part of the first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The High Level Group consists of representatives from, British Cycling, Living Streets, Bicycle Association, Sustrans, CTC – the National Cycling Charity, the AA, Transport for London and Transport for Greater Manchester.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Sleeping Rough

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to take to provide further guidance to local authorities on preventing people who apply to those authorities for accommodation from continuing to sleep rough.

Mr Marcus Jones: This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. One person without a home is one too many. That is why since 2010 we have invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. This investment has helped local authorities prevent almost one million households from becoming homeless since 2010.We already require all authorities to ensure that advice and information about homelessness, and the prevention of homelessness, is available to everyone in their district free of charge. The Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-councils-july-2006, provides statutory guidance on how local authorities should exercise this function.

Local Government: Disclosure of Information

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department is currently reviewing compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Palestinians: Detainees

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of the (a) core recommendations and (b) specific recommendations of his Department's report entitled Children in Military Custody, published in June 2012, the Israeli government has implemented.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Since the publication of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded independent report on Children in Military Custody in June 2012, there has been some progress on the issue of children held in military detention. This includes a pilot to use summons instead of night-time arrests, changes to standard operating procedures on methods of restraint, and steps to reduce the amount of time a child can be detained before seeing a judge. There has also been a reduction in the use of solitary confinement and an increase in the use of Arabic to give notifications of arrest.While we welcome the improvements to date, we continue to press the Israeli authorities to make further progress on this important issue.

European External Action Service

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the UK contribution to the European External Action Service has been in each year since its creation; and what proportion of the European External Action Service's overall budget the UK has contributed in each such year.

Mr David Lidington: The United Kingdom contributes to the EU budget as a whole, not to individual elements of it. The initial European External Action Service (EEAS) budget in 2011 was €464 million. €441 million of this was existing money transferred from the Commission and Council Secretariat. The EEAS budget was €489 million in 2012, €509 million in 2013 and €519 million in 2014. Over this period, the UK's pre-abatement financing share was 14.5% (outturn) in 2011, 15.3% in 2012, 15.5% in 2013, and 15.4% in 2014 based on the latest budgets for those years. The UK has been clear in arguing for restraint in the EEAS budget at a time when difficult spending decisions are being taken by member states and we continue to remind the EEAS of its commitment to resource neutrality.

Cabinet Office

Foreign Companies

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 12011, when the consultation on making property ownership by foreign companies more transparent will begin.

Matthew Hancock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 14 October 2015 to UIN: 12011.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Scottish Power

Richard  Arkless: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress has been made towards a resolution of the Scottish Power cashback mis-selling dispute since his meeting in July 2015 with the CEO of the Insolvency Service.

Sajid Javid: I have asked my officials to seek an update from Scottish Power on what steps they are taking in this matter.

Apprentices

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprenticeship starts there have been in each year since 1997.

Nick Boles: Table 1 shows the number of Apprenticeship starts in England from the 1997/98 academic year to 2014/15.Table 1: Apprenticeship Starts, England, 1997/98 to 2014/15Academic YearApprenticeship Starts1997/9875,0001998/99118,0001999/00165,0002000/01177,0002001/02162,000--2002/03167,7002003/04193,6002004/05189,0002005/06175,0002006/07184,4002007/08224,8002008/09239,9002009/10279,7002010/11457,2002011/12520,6002012/13510,2002013/14440,4002014/15499,900Notes:1) Data source for 2002/03 onwards is the Individualised Learner Record. Data source from 1997/98 to 2001/02 was the Individualised Student Record, managed by the Further Education Funding Council. Therefore data prior to 2002/03 is not directly comparable to later years.2) Data for 2002/03 onwards is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships3) Data prior to 2002/03 are rounded to the nearest thousand.4) Data from 2002/03 onwards are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: Public Expenditure

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has spent on (a) temporary agency staff, (b) consultants, (c) non-payroll staff, (d) administration and (e) marketing and advertising in real terms in each year since 2010-11.

Justine Greening: See the table below, which reflects categorised spend. Note that total administration spend will also include temporary staff, consultants, on-payroll staff and marketing and advertising spend.Year(a&c) Temporary agency staff & non payroll staff (£m)(b) consultants (£m)(d) Spend against Administration control total (£m)(e) Spend on marketing and Advertising (£000s)2005/063.9Unavailable*162.2Unavailable*2006/072.0Unavailable*190.5Unavailable*2007/081.3Unavailable*150.7Unavailable*2008/092.6Unavailable*162.7302009/103.919.1157.0432010/111.41.4148.2452011/121.20.7123.342012/131.20.2127.872013/142.10.2116.052014/151.20.1110.014*Disaggregated data not available due to expenditure categories on previous management system.

Department for International Development: Public Expenditure

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) the amount of any underspend expected against departmental expenditure limits in the current fiscal year and (b) her Department's latest forecast of total annually managed expenditure spend for this year is; and what the forecasts were for those sums at the time of the Summer Budget 2015 and March Budget 2015.

Justine Greening: The last main supply estimate was published in July 2015, and is available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/main-supply-estimates-2015-to-2016.DFID is currently forecasting to fully utilise its departmental expenditure limits (DEL) and annually managed expenditure (AME) as allocated and approved by Parliament.

Lesbos: Refugees

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support is being provided to refugees currently on the island of Lesbos.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The UK has so far provided around £4.5 million to partners working in Greece, many of which are active on Lesbos. This includes supporting the Red Cross for assistance and emergency first aid to refugees and migrants arriving on the beaches. We are also providing assistance to the IOM and UNHCR who are delivering essential coordination, reception and registration support, as well as direct physical assistance.It is right that the vast majority of our support goes to the region, our support is helping to build long term stability and resilience to help refugees build a life in neighbouring countries and prevent them falling prey to people smugglers and traffickers. For this reason, the UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion to date, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US and have done more than any other European country.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to attach conditions to aid to Pakistan relating to the prevention of persecution of and discrimination against Christians.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of their commitment to our Partnership Principles, which include human rights. The Government of Pakistan has publicly recognised the problems facing minorities, and the need to bring an end to religious persecution. We remain fully committed to working in partnership with them to achieve this.We raise these issues regularly with the Government of Pakistan; most recently the Head of DFID Pakistan raised this issue in October as part of the annual Bilateral Assistance Talks. Withdrawing aid would undermine our ability to protect the poorest, including many minority and excluded groups.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the relationship between clean water and sanitation in schools and girls' school attendance in developing countries; and if she will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: Clean water and adequate sanitation in schools ensure safe and hygienic environments for learning. The UK Government supports the view that providing toilets at schools for girls is necessary to provide privacy and dignity. There is some evidence that WASH interventions in schools do improve attendance by girls but much evidence points to other important factors as well.In 2011, DFID published a systematic review of this issue. This determined that separate facilities for girls were likely to encourage their attendance at school, but insufficient alone to increase attendance and that there are many influential factors, including social and economic pressures on poor families. DFID therefore takes a holistic approach to this issue.The UK played a key role in ensuring that the recently agreed Sustainable Development Goals include a dedicated goal on water which aims to ensure universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.

Department for Education

Unemployment: Young People

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the numbers of 16 to 24 year olds who have turned down training or further education for transport reasons in the last 12 months.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The statutory responsibility for transport to education or training for 16- to 18-year-olds rests with local authorities who are expected to make appropriate decisions bearing in mind local circumstances. However, most young people have access to a discount or concession on local travel, from their local transport providers, their local authority, or from their education or training provider.Young people are participating at their highest rate since consistent records began with 90.8% of 16- and 17-year-olds being in education and work based learning (apprenticeships) at the end of 2014.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Big Lottery Fund

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to redirect proceeds from the National Lottery away from the Big Lottery Fund to fulfil his Department's existing commitments to fund the arts, heritage and sport.

Tracey Crouch: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for the regulatory framework for the distribution of National Lottery good causes, which is currently 40% for good causes, 20% for arts, 20% for heritage and 20% for sports.

Big Lottery Fund: Scotland

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of national lottery sales income has been allocated to the Big Lottery Fund budget for Scotland in each of the last five years.

Tracey Crouch: The Big Lottery Fund decides how much of its funding to allocate to each of the home nations. Scotland is allocated 11.5 per cent of the Big Lottery Funds proceeds from the National Lottery after administration costs, and 10 per cent of the Fund’s Lottery income is allocated to a UK portfolio, from which Scotland also benefits.

Big Lottery Fund: Scotland

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many community projects have benefited from monies allocated by Scotland's Big Lottery Fund in the last five years.

Tracey Crouch: From 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2015, the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland has allocated monies to over 11,500 projects.

Data Protection: EU Action

Sir Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will support the inclusion of a specific exemption for Holocaust research in the forthcoming European General Data Protection Regulation.

Mr Edward Vaizey: I agree that it is vital that the General Data Protection Regulation, currently being negotiated, provides safeguards to enable historical researchers and archivists to continue with important work.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment: Refugees

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made on the effect of the withdrawal of ESOL plus mandation funding ESOL on employment prospects for refugees.

Priti Patel: We are committed to supporting those who are unemployed to finding and keeping employment. In doing so, we ensure that any learning provision is delivered in the context of local employment and labour market demand. Data shows that the numbers of learners in England previously being referred to ESOL Plus (Mandation) provision was significantly lower than originally anticipated and the ESOL Plus (Mandation) budget was underspent in 2014/15.The decision to remove the specific English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus (Mandation) funding for 2015/16 enables providers, as independent organisations which manage their own budgets, to have the flexibility to use their adult skills budget more effectively to support jobseekers. They are able to continue to provide ESOL training for jobseekers where it is likely to result in the most effective labour market outcome, and jobseekers with poor English language skills can still be mandated to this training. All new claimants are screened for spoken English at their first interview and if below entry level 2, they are referred for a more detailed assessment and, if appropriate, training provision.

English Language: Education

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the withdrawal of ESOL funding on levels of poverty.

Priti Patel: We are committed to supporting those who are unemployed to finding and keeping employment. In doing so, we ensure that any learning provision is delivered in the context of local employment and labour market demand. Data shows that the numbers of learners in England previously being referred to ESOL Plus (Mandation) provision was significantly lower than originally anticipated and the ESOL Plus (Mandation) budget was underspent in 2014/15.The decision to remove the specific English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus (Mandation) funding for 2015/16 enables providers, as independent organisations which manage their own budgets, to have the flexibility to use their adult skills budget more effectively to support jobseekers. They are able to continue to provide ESOL training for jobseekers where it is likely to result in the most effective labour market outcome, and jobseekers with poor English language skills can still be mandated to this training. All new claimants are screened for spoken English at their first interview and if below entry level 2, they are referred for a more detailed assessment and, if appropriate, training provision.

Department for Work and Pensions: Redundancy

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many voluntary redundancies there have been in his Department in 2015.

Justin Tomlinson: Holding answer received on 24 November 2015



To date in 2015 there have been no voluntary redundancies in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Department for Work and Pensions: Databases

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the streams of data collected by his Department are (a) used by the Department, (b) read by how many people and (c) unused or unread.

Justin Tomlinson: I have interpreted the question to be asking for the number of datasets compiled by the department. This information is not currently available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Solar Power: Arable Farming

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the area of land occupied by solar panel arrays that was previously arable land usable for economically farmed fruits or vegetables.

George Eustice: Data held by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-photovoltaics-deployment), suggests that as at June 2015 there were 432 Renewables Obligation (RO) ground mounted solar installations across all land use types compared to 227 at the same point in 2014, an increase of 90% in a single year.Earlier this year, planning authorities received clarification from government about how to consider applications for siting solar panel arrays on our Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land in order to help protect our long-term productive capacity.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the prevalence of bovine TB was in each (a) month and (b) county from 1996 to 2008.

George Eustice: The Department publishes data back to 1996 for England, Wales and Scotland and at a GB level.Monthly statistics at a county level on bovine TB since 1996 will be published in December.

Environment Protection: North of England

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and (b) Chancellor of the Exchequer on improving the environment as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Rory Stewart: Improving the environment is essential for providing the natural resources that underpin our economic success. We also want to see businesses whose products improve the environment grow. As a member of the Informal Ministerial Group on the Northern Powerhouse, I have discussed with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and other Ministerial colleagues ways in which a healthy environment and economic growth in the north of England go together.

Organic Food

Mr David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much support from EU agricultural funding has been awarded to UK organic food producers in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: In England between 2010 and 2014, support for organic farmers was provided under the Organic Entry Level Stewardship scheme (OELS) and Organic Higher Level Stewardship scheme (OHLS), which were set up under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The following table provides details of the annual funding provided during this period. Organic farmers were also eligible for payments under the Single Payment Scheme.OELS and OHLS funding in England 2010-2014:YearAnnual funding for OELS: Annual funding for OHLS:2010£1,986,129£17,454,5782011£4,285,822£21,059,8412012£6,088,660£24,443,4052013£7,503,473£27,495,2312014£8,665,682£29,486,762Total Funding:£28,529,766£119,939,817Footnote 1: Because agriculture is a devolved matter, separate schemes operate in other UK countries. Data on other funding provided is available from devolved administrations.Footnote 2: These data include payments to organic farmers under conventional land management options in combined organic and conventional agreements and include payments for existing and new agreements each year.Footnote 3: RDPE funding comprises EU funding allocated under the CAP for England and relevant Exchequer match funding.

Slaughterhouses: CCTV

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on utilising the skills of animal welfare charities and voluntary organisations to monitor CCTV in slaughterhouses.

George Eustice: The Government welcomed the recent Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) Opinion on CCTV in slaughterhouses. FAWC did not recommend using animal welfare charities or voluntary organisations to monitor CCTV in slaughterhouses.However, the report highlighted that CCTV was a useful management tool for food business operators and the Government is keen to see the minority of abattoirs still without any form of CCTV move quickly to voluntarily adopt its use. We welcome the recent industry statement which addresses one of the FAWC recommendations that the slaughter industry should produce a common set of good practice protocols for the review, evaluation and use of CCTV footage..

Lobbying

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will assess the extent to which grants made by her Department to third parties are used for activities designed to influence her Department, other departments or Parliament.

George Eustice: Grants are made to third parties so that those organisations can deliver Defra’s objectives. They are not made to such organisations for use to influence Defra, other Departments or Parliament.

National Wildlife Crime Unit: Finance

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether ending her Department's funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit would affect the UK's Commitment to Action on the illegal wildlife trade.

Rory Stewart: An assessment of the effect of future funding decisions regarding the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit on the UK’s Commitment to Action on the Illegal Wildlife Trade has not yet been made.Decisions on future funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit beyond March 2016 will be made as part of the current Spending Review process.

Nature Conservation: Crime

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to ensure it works in partnership with businesses involved with wildlife issues to enhance public and private sector involvement in combating wildlife crime after March 2016.

Rory Stewart: We will continue to engage with all those with an interest in wildlife issues, including in tackling wildlife crime, as part of normal business and particularly through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime.

Department of Energy and Climate Change: China

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the outcomes were of her visit to China in November 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who she met during her visit to China in November 2015; and what was (a) discussed and (b) agreed at those meetings.

George Eustice: During her visit the Secretary of State met a number of her counterparts, supported the two week long Food is GREAT Campaign in China and took with her the largest ever UK delegation to the Food and Hotel China trade show. She signed agreements to open the markets for UK barley and pigs trotters worth up to £190m over 5 years and discussed the forward plan for opening up the markets for poultry, beef and lamb. She discussed shared priorities with the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Water Resources and agreed programmes of closer collaboration.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to raise the welfare standards of animals in battery cages.

George Eustice: All animals are protected by comprehensive animal welfare legislation, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The UK also has species specific legal requirements which protect the welfare of all farm animals in whatever system they are kept. Battery cages for laying hens were banned in 2012 as there was clear evidence that these cages were detrimental to laying hen welfare. A statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sport Shooting provides rearers of gamebirds with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their livestock as required by the Animal Welfare Act including in cage rearing systems.

Horses

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to meet the requirements of the Equine Identification Regulations in anticipation of requirements arising from EU regulation to monitor the importation and exportation of horses by 1 January 2016.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 23 November 2015 to PQ UINs 16593, 16594 and 16595.

Rural Areas: Community Councils

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received from rural community councils on their role in sustaining rural villages and communities.

Rory Stewart: In January 2015 the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) Network, covering the 38 Rural Community Councils in England, called on Defra not to withdraw funding. Defra provided ACRE with £2,312,000 for 2015-16 to distribute amongst Rural Community Councils, allowing them to continue their role in sustaining rural villages and communities. We continue to work closely with ACRE to make sure Defra’s funding delivers the maximum benefit.

Pets: Sales

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Pet Animals Act 1951 to reflect the increasing number of animals sold over the internet.

George Eustice: Defra is reviewing the Pet Animals Act 1951, which already covers sales of pet animals over the internet, as part of a wider review of some of the animal related licensing schemes. We are aiming to consult on a set of proposals shortly.

Pets: Sales

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the sale of exotic animals online.

George Eustice: We are currently reviewing animal licensing schemes, including that for the sale of pet animals, and aim to consult publicly on a set of proposals shortly. In the meantime, the welfare of all animals, including exotics, at the point of sale is protected by the Pet Animals Act 1951. The Act covers sales over the internet as long as the person selling the animals is based in Great Britain. However, we understand the concerns about internet sales and have been working closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), a group of animal welfare, veterinary, keeping and industry organisations, who have agreed, with several internet advertising sites, a set of minimum standards for animals sold over the internet. The work has so far resulted in over 130,000 inappropriate adverts being removed from the internet. We will continue to work with the PAAG so that more internet sites adopt the minimum standards.

Home Office

Children: Deportation

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many former unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were removed to (a) Afghanistan, (b) Syria, (c) Libya, (d) Iraq, (e) Iran and (f) Albania in each year between 2007 and 2015; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 28 October 2015



The table below provides the requested information:Removed in YearAfghanistanAlbaniaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqLibya (Arab Republic)Syrian Arab RepublicGrand Total20074621431627920085911413372232009985784721020101383142812022011180231222262012832441611282013113313231171201459361141111201515463266Grand Total79157640205311616The above data was produced on 26 October 2015. The information relating to removals of former unaccompanied asylum seeking children in 2015 details removals up to 30 June 2015.Removal of former unaccompanied asylum seeking children will only take place after their asylum claim has been finally determined, including any appeal hearing, and it has been established that there is no risk of persecution, or of a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, upon return to their Home Country. After a former unaccompanied asylum seeking child is over eighteen years of age, and found not to be at risk upon return to their home country, their removal will be managed in line with our usual arrangements for the safe and secure return of failed asylum seekers who do not leave the UK voluntarily.

Asylum: Applications

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's current service standard is for the time taken to process further submissions related to an asylum claim.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many decisions on further submissions related to asylum claims that are outstanding have been waiting for longer than (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years for a decision.

James Brokenshire: There is not a formal service standard for deciding further submissions from failed asylum seekers. The Home Office is balancing resource between those failed asylum seekers with no leave to remain who have made further submissions on the one hand and, on the other, those who were granted a limited period of leave following the refusal of their application who have outstanding applications for Further Leave.With regard to further submissions lodged by failed asylum seekers, there is dedicated resource in place to decide cases in the existing stock of further submissions and to also decide new submissions quickly, wherever possible within 5 days of their being lodged. With regard to cases in the stock of further submissions, the Home Office is prioritising cases where applicants are in receipt of asylum support and cases where the applicant may be removed from the United Kingdom in the eventuality their submission is refused. The Home Office will also give priority to further submissions case that have been outstanding for the longest period of time.The figures in the below table relate to failed asylum seekers who had outstanding further submissions as of 30 June 2015:Timescale (Years) Total1 - 2 23832 - 3 14263 or more 1267Total 5076

Home Office: Consultants

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what technical consultancy was provided to her Department to help produce the draft Investigatory Powers Bill; and how much was spent from the public purse on such consultancy.

Mr John Hayes: The Home Office makes use of technical expertise from within the civil service and externally to support preparation for legislation as well as implementation of current legislation. We also consult widely with academics, communication service providers and wider industry. It is not possible to determine how much of this work has been specifically devoted to preparation of the Investigatory Powers Bill.

Counter-terrorism: Northern Ireland

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place for the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to cooperate to counter the Islamic terrorist threat and the potential utilisation by such terrorists of the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr John Hayes: The UK and the Republic of Ireland have long enjoyed a Common Travel Area (CTA) free of routine border controls. However, there are long-established and effective working relationships between the police and intelligence agencies in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to mitigate threats. The Government takes protecting our border security very seriously, and there is a high level of collaboration on work with the Republic of Ireland to also strengthen the CTA’s external border.

Visas: Fees and Charges

Michelle  Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what purposes her Department used the income it raised from visa applications in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 20 November 2015



Income from fees contributes to providing the resources necessary to fund delivery of, and improvements to the Border, Immigration and Citizenship system.

Counter-terrorism: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which Northern Ireland's land border with another EU member state creates a challenge in protecting Northern Ireland from terrorist threats.

Mr John Hayes: The UK and the Republic of Ireland have long enjoyed a Common Travel Area (CTA) free of routine border controls. However, there are long-established and effective working relationships between the police and intelligence agencies in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to mitigate threats. The Government takes protecting our border security very seriously, and there is a high level of collaboration on work with the Republic of Ireland to also strengthen the CTA’s external border.

Communication Service Providers: Compensation

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of reimbursing communication service providers under the provisions of the draft Investigatory Powers Bill in the first 10 years in which an Act arising from that draft bill is in force.

Mr John Hayes: Holding answer received on 23 November 2015



The draft Bill requires the retention of additional data, known as internet connection records, by domestic CSPs who are under a data retention notice, to ensure that those responsible for law enforcement continue to have the powers they need to acquire communications data as technology develops and threats change.The Government published an estimate of the additional cost of this provision of £174.2m over the 10 year period in the Communications Data Impact Assessment, alongside the draft Bill on 4 November.

Asylum: Deportation

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people whose applications for asylum were rejected have been repatriated in 2015 to date.

James Brokenshire: The table below provides the number of people removed or departing voluntarily from the UK who had sought asylum at some stage.Asylum removals and voluntary departures from the United Kingdom, January to June 2015 (1,2,3)PeriodAsylum: Total EnforcedAsylum: HomeAsylum: EU Member State (if different)Asylum: Other and destination unknownAsylum: Total Voluntary DeparturesAsylum: HomeAsylum: EU Member State (if different)Asylum: Other and destination unknownJanuary to June 20151,9431,5852906890470918177(1) Removals are recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken.(2) Recorded on the system as having claimed asylum at some point.(3) These figures are provisional and may subsequently differ when the tables are revised, due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after the extracts are taken.It is not possible within these figures to say at what stage in the asylum process individuals have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, as those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage without necessarily notifying the Home Office.The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of removals and voluntary departures from the United Kingdom, within the Immigration Statistics release. Data relating to removals and voluntary departures are available in tables rv_05 and rv_05_q in Immigration Statistics: April – June 2015 on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.Figures for July to September 2015 will be available from the above website on Thursday 26 November 2015.

HM Treasury

Banks: Loans

Grahame Morris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support greater diversification in forms of lending in the UK banking sector.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is committed to competition and diversity in financial services and would like to see firms with a range of business compete and succeed.The Government has supported both the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Crowdfunding sectors, which provide alternative sources of finance for both businesses and individuals, by introducing a proportionate regulatory regime as well as other policies, such as the inclusion of P2P loans in ISAs.The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 contained two policies to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in accessing finance. The first requires the major banks share information on their SME customers with other lenders through designated Credit Reference Agencies. This will improve the ability of challenger banks and alternative finance providers to conduct accurate risk assessments and level the playing field between providers. The second requires major banks to refer SMEs they reject for finance, with the SMEs permission, to ‘finance platforms’ that can match SMEs with alternative finance providers.The Government has established the British Business Bank to support the development of diverse finance markets for smaller businesses in the UK. The British Business Bank’s £950m Business Finance Partnership aims to diversify the sources of finance available to smaller and mid-sized firms and reduce their dependence on bank finance. £863m has been allocated to funds supporting mid-sized firms, with £333m already invested alongside private money, generating over £1bn of lending to businesses.The Government has also continued to support the building societies sector through a number of measures including: carving out building societies from the Independent Commission on Banking ring-fencing regulations, extending ISA eligibility to Core Capital Deferred Shares, and applying a £25m sector-specific allowance to carried-forward losses for Corporation Tax. More recently, the Government listened to the concerns of smaller organisations, including building societies, when taking steps to remove the reverse burden of proof from the senior managers regime.The Government has also taken significant steps to support the credit union sector by investing £38m in the sector through the Department of Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Credit Union Expansion Project, changing legislation to allow credit unions to admit corporate members, providing £500,000 to help armed forces personnel access credit union services and launching a Call for Evidence which allowed all credit unions, regardless of size or influence, the opportunity to contribute their vision for the future of the sector to the wider debate.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Coal

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether it is Government policy to phase out coal.

Andrea Leadsom: Coal accounted for 39% of total UK electricity generation in 2012, falling to 30% in 2014. This trend is expected to continue and the Department’s published forecasts suggest that, in our central scenario, the last unabated UK coal fired power station will close in 2026.However, if market conditions are right, there is a possibility that coal could continue to produce electricity until the late 2020s.Source: DECC Updated energy and emissions projections 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368021/Updated_energy_and_emissions_projections2014.pdf

Energy Supply

Callum McCaig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with other Government departments and in Cabinet Committees and sub-committees on the resilience and security of the UK's electricity supply.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC regularly discusses the resilience and security of the UK’s electricity supply with the Governments Departments in committees and sub-Committees.

National Grid

Callum McCaig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she has had with National Grid after it gave its notification of inadequate system margin on 5 November 2015.

Andrea Leadsom: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State spoke with Steve Holliday, National Grid’s Chief Executive on 5November to discuss the Notice of Inadequate System Margin which National Grid issued on 4 November.Following the call, the Secretary of State has written to National Grid requesting a more in-depth analysis of some the factors contributing to the issuing of the notice and an assessment of the potential implications on future decisions.We take security of supply very seriously and we are working with National Grid to make sure there is always sufficient generating capacity available to meet demand even in challenging conditions, such as extremely cold weather.

Electricity Generation

Callum McCaig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans her Department has to increase electricity generation in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Andrea Leadsom: Our priority is to ensure that British families and business have access to secure affordable energy supplies. We are working with National Grid to make sure there is always sufficient generating capacity available to meet demand even in challenging conditions, such as extremely cold weather.National Grid forecasts show Peak demand for electricity for 2015/16 and 2016/17 is expected to be broadly stable, which is consistent with recent trends.Since 2014 National Grid have had the ability to procure a Contingency Balancing Reserve and they have secured 2.4GW of capacity through this mechanism to ensure supplies for this winter.On 15 October, Ofgem commenced its consultation on the extension of the cost recovery arrangements for the contingency balancing services to allow National Grid’s contingency balancing services to continue for the winters prior to the introduction of the Capacity Market in 18/19. National Grid’s Tender for the Contingency Balancing Reserve (subject to the outcome of the Ofgem consultation) opened on 2 November. The Government supports the position taken by National Grid and Ofgem that Grid should retain the ability to procure the contingency balancing services for the next two winters and that this tool will help ensure sufficient margins until the first delivery year of the Capacity Market.Beyond winter 2017/18, the Capacity Market will take over as the long term solution for security of supply, driving new investment in gas and demand side capacity in the future. The first Capacity Market auction was successfully concluded in December 2014 and the next will commence on 8December 2015. We have announced our intention to procure a total of 47.9GW capacity for the delivery year 2019/20 and that the target capacity for the auction this December will be 45.4GW. The balance (2.5 GW) will be procured in 2018, one year ahead of delivery.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the effect that the offshore wind industry has on stimulating investment in the north of England.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 20 November 2015



Recent major investments in the north of England include Siemens and APB’s investment in Hull, Offshore Structure Britain in Teesside and JDR Cables in Hartlepool. There has also been significant investment in operations and maintenance facilities. These investments are helping to deliver high quality and long term jobs to the region.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department has received evidence on the effect of the feed-in tariff review on jobs in the solar industry.

Andrea Leadsom: We have received nearly 55,000 responses to the consultation. We currently estimate that just over 2,600 are unique and detailed responses; the rest are briefer and more uniform responses, generated by campaigns. We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the consultation and intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

Renewable Energy: Imports

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the (a) volume, (b) gross capital and (c) gross revenue costs of planned purchases of renewable energy is from other European countries.

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what specific changes are needed to her Department's policies to ensure that the UK meets the EU target of 15 per cent of energy to be sourced from renewable sources before 2020; and what the timetable is for implementing each of those changes.

Andrea Leadsom: We continue to make progress towards our renewable energy target of 15% final energy consumption by 2020. Provisional figures show 6.3% of final energy consumption came from renewable sources for 2013 and 2014, against a target of 5.4%.Progress on renewable electricity generation has been particularly strong with over a quarter of electricity generated, between April and June this year, coming from renewable sources.The Spending Review will be announced on 25th November, and a Department for Transport consultation will be running next year on increasing the amount of renewable transport fuel. We will carefully consider the impacts of both on the UK’s progress towards the renewables target of 15%, including whether there will be a role for trading.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what date in January 2016 is set for her Department to announce its decision on feed-in tariffs following its review.

Andrea Leadsom: We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the Feed-in Tariff review consultation and intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will re-introduce feed-in tariff preaccreditation for community renewable energy schemes.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government proposed changes to the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs) as part of the FIT review, on which we consulted widely between 27th August and 23rd October.We are currently analysing feedback submitted during the consultation and intend to publish a Government response as soon as possible.

Schools: Solar Power

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress her Department has made on plans to improve energy efficiency across schools through introducing solar hubs.

Andrea Leadsom: In April 2014 the Department published a leaflet encouraging schools to invest in Solar PV, which was followed up with a letter to local authorities in November 2014, and we have also continued to encourage deployment through the financial incentive of the Feed-in Tariff.DECC officials are continuing to work with other Government Departments to explore what more can be done to make it easier for schools to invest in renewable energy.Their ability to fund such projects through commercial and third party loans is restricted, to ensure value for money and protect public sector finances, but schools have found alternative ways of funding solar projects, for example through crowd funding and other mechanisms.

Energy: EU Action

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her Department's involvement was in the launch of E-Track on 18 November 2015 on the new European Commission programme on the Energy Transparency Centre of Knowledge (E-TRACK); and what the benefits are to the development of UK energy policy of E-TRACK.

Andrea Leadsom: The Energy Transparency Centre of Knowledge (E-TRACK) is a joint initiative of the European Commission’s Directorate General of Energy and Joint Research Centre. It is intended to monitor, disseminate and share information on good practices of public participation in energy policy. Given it has only just been launched and is yet to begin its work it is too early to assess whether its subsequent outputs will deliver benefits to the development of UK energy policy.

Housing: Energy

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the Government plans to create a new national scheme to improve home energy efficiency to replace the Green Deal scheme.

Andrea Leadsom: Since 2013 Government has supported industry in delivering over 1.6 million measures which were installed in over 1.3 million households through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) alone.We are now working with the industry and consumer groups on a new value-for-money approach. We’ve also commissioned an independent review led by Peter Bonfield to investigate quality, standards and consumer protection to ensure that the system properly supports and protects consumers.

Renewable Energy

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress the Government has made on the UK commitment to ensure 20 per cent of its energy will come from renewables by 2020.

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on 6 July 2015 to Question 4832:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-06-30/4832/.

Northern Ireland Office

MI5: Northern Ireland

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether proposals to expand the Security Service include the expansion of its facilities and additional recruitment in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ben Wallace: It would not be appropriate for me to comment on these matters which are the responsibility of the Security and Intelligence Agencies.

Economic Growth: Northern Ireland

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how Northern Ireland can benefit from contributing to the Northern Powerhouse.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of issues, including his plans for the Northern Powerhouse, which is about building a strong economy from which all parts of the United Kingdom can benefit.

Roads: Northern Ireland

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland executive about (a) the licensing of road hauliers and (b) tackling transportation of illicit fuel.

Mr Ben Wallace: Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office have not had any direct discussions with the NI Executive about (a) licensing of road hauliers and (b) tackling transportation of illicit fuel. Matters relating to (a) the road hauliers and (b) tackling transportation of illicit fuel are for the DVA and HMRC respectively.

Northern Ireland Government

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to page eight of the Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan, published on 17 November 2015, what the further financial support of around £500 million from the Government will consist of and for what purposes it can be used.

Mr Ben Wallace: The financial support of around £500m consists of:- £160m in Additional Security Funding;- £25m to tackle Continuing Paramilitary Activity;- £3m to establish and fund a Monitoring and Implementation body; and- £60m for Shared Future measures.Additionally, welfare deductions stopped when the Assembly passed a consent motion for UK legislation to implement reforms. The UK Government will refund the deduction due for the remainder of the year, which is estimated to be around £40m.The Executive is also to develop effective Spend to Save proposals. The Treasury will work with them to finalise proposals, help fund them (up to £125m), and let the Executive keep half the savings that can be verified by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR). The parties project that this will generate significant savings in the next five years, taking the total package over £500m.

Security: Northern Ireland

Mr Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon Members for South Ribble and Blaenau Gwent.

Income Tax: Northern Ireland

Mr Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on income tax assignment to Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: Building a Prosperous and United Community, the ‘Economic Pact’ signed by the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive in 2013, recognised the need to examine the potential to devolve additional fiscal powers to Northern Ireland.As a result, the Executive is examining the treatment of a range of taxes. The Government will consider any proposals put forward.

Low Pay: Northern Ireland

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to tackle low pay in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ben Wallace: Tackling low pay is part of the Government's plan to move to a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society.100,000 low-paid people in Northern Ireland, 13 per cent of the workforce, will directly benefit from the National Living Wage from April next year.A full-time worker on the current National Minimum Wage will be £1,200 better off as a result.The Government’s plan is working. Official figures published last week show that weekly earnings for full-time employees in Northern Ireland were up 5.4 per cent over the year. The highest growth rate of all regions in the UK.

Intelligence Services: Northern Ireland

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that Northern Ireland benefits from the Government's planned expansion of the intelligence agencies.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I regularly discuss national security issues with Cabinet colleagues.The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review published this week, confirm that tackling terrorism in all its forms continues to be one of the Government’s highest priorities.We will increase funding for counter-terrorism by 30% in real terms over this Parliament.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Northern Ireland

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what representations she has received on support for charities which provide sexual health advice and services in Northern Ireland.

Mr Ben Wallace: Support for charities which provide sexual health advice and services in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office have received no representations.

Northern Ireland Government

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon Member for Harrow East.

Department of Health

Drugs: Research

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2015 to Question 227804, if his Department plans to commission further research on (a) patterns of long-term prescription of dependency-forming medicines and (b) the scale of addiction to benzodiazepines, z drugs and other such medicines.

George Freeman: The Department has commissioned the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Public Health Research Consortium to conduct a study to explore patterns of prescribing for specific medicines that have a risk of dependence, using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. These include: benzodiazepines; z-drugs; opioid-containing prescription drugs for pain; and the GABA-ergic drugs, pregabalin and gabapentin.This study will not assess dependence on such medicines, because being in receipt of a prescription is not indicative of dependence. However, it will seek to explore the circumstances in which prescriptions of medicines with a risk of dependence are issued. A better understanding of prescribing patterns is an important step in helping clinicians identify patients at risk of dependence on the medicines they prescribe.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 11 March 2015 to Question 226385, how many local authorities supported by PHE are developing withdrawal services for people affected by addiction to prescription benzodiazepine and drug tranquilisers.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England is currently working with two local authorities and one other area which is part of a Clinical Commissioning Group who want to improve their responses to addiction to medicines. These improvements are wide-ranging and do not necessarily involve developing bespoke services for people affected by specific medicines. There are also other areas which are looking at how they respond to addiction to medicines locally.Local authorities are responsible for commissioning effective services to meet the need of their local populations which experience dependence on any medicines or drugs, including treatment for people dependent on prescription benzodiazepines and tranquillisers.

Prescription Drugs

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of compliance by doctors with the four-week recommended maximum prescribing period for benzodiazepines and z drugs since 2011.

George Freeman: No assessment has been made of compliance by doctors with the four-week recommended maximum prescribing period for benzodiazepines and z drugs since 2011. Guidance on the prescribing of benzodiazepines and “z” drugs can be found in the British National Formulary.

Detainees: Infectious Diseases

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's policy is on testing detainees for infectious diseases such as TB.

Jane Ellison: In April 2015, Public Health England, NHS England, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement jointly published a National Partnership Agreement which outlines shared commitments and priorities across the three organisations relating to the health and wellbeing of people in detention in the immigration removal estate. This includes a joint priority to improve the pro-active detection, surveillance and management of infectious diseases in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), particularly in respect of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and tuberculosis (TB), and to improve capability to detect and respond to outbreaks and incidents.A programme of work to implement the provisions of the National Partnership Agreement is being taken forward by the three organisations. Use of new technology is being explored in some IRCs including using digital x-ray technology to detect active TB disease in the lungs as well as blood tests to detect both latent TB and BBV infection.

Dental Services

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the appropriateness of the use of amalgam in dental fillings.

Alistair Burt: Dental amalgam has been in use for over 150 years to restore teeth in millions of patients and, apart from rare instances of hypersensitivity, no adverse reactions have been identified. Alternative dental restorative materials are not so easily, quickly and reliably placed. Neither are they so durable. Due to improvements in oral health, the number of restorations is decreasing with the result that the safe management and disposal of dental amalgam is more easily achieved.The World Health Organization report Future Use of Materials for Dental Restorations November 2009 concluded that dental amalgam remains a dental restorative material of choice in the absence of an ideal alternative. The Department concurs with the conclusions of the report which can be found at:http://www.who.int/oral_health/publications/dental_material_2011.pdf

Midwives: Students

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many student midwives were in receipt of a bursary in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; what the average bursary paid to a student midwife was in each of those years; and what the total cost to the public purse in bursaries paid to student midwives was in each such year.

Ben Gummer: The number of midwifery students who were in receipt of a bursary, the average bursary paid to those students and the total cost of all bursaries paid to student midwives in each of the last 10 academic years is shown in the following table.YearNumber of Bursary Holders1Total-Amount Paid2Average amount paid per Bursary holder2005/063,901£22,067,168£5,6572006/073,812£21,787,618£5,7162007/083,996£23,228,490£5,8132008/094,265£24,373,689£5,7152009/104,777£27,539,804£5,7652010/115,218£29,854,947£5,7222011/125,345£31,358,058£5,8672012/135,448£33,344,511£6,1212013/146,077£35,631,880£5,8632014/1536,305£35,591,467£5,645Source: NHS Business Services AuthorityNotes: 1 The figures relate to the number of students whose academic year fell within the period 1 September to 31 August. Includes nil award holders (European Union fees only students and students whose living allowance element of the bursary has been reduced to nil after income assessment)2 Includes the basic award and all supplementary allowances and one off payments.3 Figures are provisional and may be subject to minor change as a result of subsequent retrospective payments.

Kidney Diseases

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps have been taken to encourage the implementation of improvement interventions relating to chronic kidney disease since April 2015.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to improve the level of knowledge and awareness amongst GPs of acute kidney injury; and who he plans will lead those initiatives.

Jane Ellison: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance Chronic kidney disease in adults: assessment and management, published in July 2014, sets out best practice for clinicians on the diagnosis, treatment care and support of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The advice covers monitoring for those patients at risk; pharmacological management and referral where appropriate.As highlighted in NICE’s guidance on acute kidney injury (AKI), published in August 2013, AKI is now increasingly seen in primary care in people without any acute illness and it is important that awareness of the condition should be raised among primary care health professionals, such as general practitioners. The best practice guidance emphasises early intervention and stresses the importance of risk assessment and prevention, early recognition and treatment. Both sets of NICE guidance can be found at the following links:www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg169www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg182In addition, to support clinicians in training the Royal College of Physicians has worked in partnership with Health Education England’s e-Learning for Healthcare to develop Kidn-e; an e-learning resource to provide easily accessible e-learning to support on the most common and important renal conditions, such as AKI and CKD.

Locums: Employment Agencies

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what checks locum agencies are required to make when they sub-contract the provision of staff to other locum agencies for temporary workers in the NHS or social services; what steps are taken to ensure proper checks are made on the quality and character of such staff; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the quality and rigour of checks made by locum agencies of the character and credentials of staff to be provided to the NHS or social services; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: Providers of regulated health and social care services must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and comply with certain fundamental standards, including those relating to the employment of fit and proper persons.In the National Health Service, employing organisations have the overarching responsibility for auditing and monitoring compliance of third party suppliers of temporary workers (including locum doctors) to ensure that they operate to the same level of standards in relation to undertaking pre-appointment checks as outlined by the NHS Employment Check Standards. Under the framework agreements, all external staffing providers (including contractors and agencies) are required to provide assurances that they have robust recruitment processes in place in line with the NHS Employment Check Standards.Care workers also routinely use agencies to secure employment or apply to care homes and care providers directly. Employers in the care sector have a duty of care to patients and their families to take all appropriate action to ensure employees have the appropriate credentials to enable them to work in the sector. In cases of direct payment, where the council pays the care-recipient directly to employ a carer, this responsibility falls to the care recipient.

Mothers: Depressive Illnesses

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of depression among new mothers.

Alistair Burt: Reducing the incidence of depression among new mothers is a high priority for the Government.The Mandate from the Government for the National Health Service includes an objective for NHS England to work with partner organisations to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support.The NHS Mandate also includes an objective that every woman has a named midwife who is responsible for ensuring she has personalised care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period. This will help clinicians to identify perinatal mental health problems as early as possible and to give women the support they need.To help achieve this we have increased the number of midwives by over 1,800 and the number of health visitors by over 3,500 since May 2010. In addition, 6,400 midwifery students and an extra 1,000 health visitors are in training respectively.We are also working to improve the provision of perinatal mental health services which is why it was announced in the March budget that the Government would invest an additional £75 million over the next five years, £15 million per year, to support women with mental ill health in the perinatal period. NHS England is leading a work programme to ensure that this extra money is spent in the right way, at the right time and in the right places. This work is being carried out collaboratively with partner organisations, including the Department and Public Health England, clinical experts and service users.Health Education England (HEE) has committed to ensure that the right knowledge and training is available so that the NHS is skilled in how it looks after women’s mental as well as physical health. The HEE Mandate includes an objective that there will be specialist perinatal mental health staff available for every birthing unit by 2017. HEE is also committed to working with the medical royal colleges to support specific perinatal mental health training being incorporated into the syllabus for doctors in postgraduate training by 2017.The Department has funded the Institute of Health Visitors which has trained over 600 perinatal mental health visitor champions to enable health visitors to identify and manage perinatal depression and other maternal mental health conditions.The Department has also funded the Maternal Health Care Policy Research Unit to undertake a project to develop and pilot test a perinatal mental health indicator which would reflect the mental health care a woman receives at certain critical perinatal time-points; the antenatal booking, the early postnatal period, and approximately one year postnatally.In line with the approach on other access and waiting time standards, NHS England appointed the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health to run expert engagement and produce implementation outputs, for example commissioning guidance and model pathways. An Expert Reference Group has been formed to oversee this work. NHS England plan to be able to make the recommendations of the group public as soon as possible.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with NICE and the Roche group of companies steps to reduce the cost of breast cancer drugs.

George Freeman: Improving the availability and use of effective medicines for all cancers, including breast cancer, is a key priority. We continue to work with the pharmaceutical industry on a range of issues, including the pricing of medicines, through mechanisms such as the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme and the statutory scheme.The independent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides evidence-based guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs and other health technologies for the NHS in England.On 19 November 2015, NHS England and NICE launched a 12 week consultation on draft proposals on the future direction of the Cancer Drugs Fund. The consultation is open until 11 February 2016 and further information is available at:www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/cdf-consultationWe take the issue of ensuring rapid access to innovative therapies very seriously. The independent Accelerated Access Review is looking at how we can speed up access for NHS patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines, diagnostics, medical technologies and digital products. The review published its interim report on 27 October 2015, and its full report and recommendations are expected in spring 2016.

Care Homes: Standards

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the fit and proper test for individuals running care homes for the elderly; and what plans he has to make changes to that test.

Alistair Burt: All providers of regulated health and adult social care activities in England are required to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and to meet a set of registration requirements relating to safety and quality. The CQC has a range of enforcement powers that it can use when these standards are not met. These registration requirements include the fitness of service providers where the provider is an individual or partnership, as well as the fitness of registered managersand the fitness of staff. Since April 2015, the directors of all registered service providers have also been required to meet a fit and proper person requirement. The registered provider is responsible for ensuring that these requirements are met. The Department keeps the requirements for registration with the CQC under review. There are no current plans to make changes to the fit and proper person requirements that apply to registered providers.

NHS

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the implementation of the recommendations made in the Innovation, Health and Wealth report, published by his Department in December 2011.

George Freeman: NHS England has advised that since the publication of One Year On in 2012, an update on the implementation of the Innovation Health and Wealth (IHW), there has been a great deal of progress made in many of the IHW work streams. Much of this has been incorporated into NHS England’s Innovation Into Action: Supporting delivery of the NHS Five Year Funding View, published in September 2015 and can be found at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nhs-inovation-into-action.pdfBoth the Department and NHS England remain committed to driving improvements in health through developing, testing and spreading innovation across the health system. Key developments include:- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Implementation Collaborative has been working with industry, the National Health Service, NICE and the medical Royal Colleges to provide practical solutions to overcome barriers to implementation of innovative treatments recommended by NICE.- NHS England have launched Innovation Exchange a key platform to enhance the development and spread of innovation. Innovation Challenge prizes are now celebrating the ground breaking innovations developed in the NHS, and delivering better health outcomes for patients.- In 2013 England became the first country in the world to implement a universal system of Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs). These act as system integrators linking all parts of the health landscape, including every commissioner and provider of health services in their geography, with industry and academia. Through their work to build a culture of partnership and collaboration, and to drive adoption of innovation into practice, AHSNs help to improve the health of their local populations.- The Innovation Scorecard tracks uptake of NICE technology appraisals and helps the NHS to understand where there is variation in uptake across England. Further work is underway with industry to expand the number of medicines and devices included on the scorecard and to present data at a more granular level. Industry data is included in the scorecard where companies have provided it.- The Five Year Forward View builds on this progress. Through its publication and implementation NHS England and its partners have committed to driving improvements in health through developing, testing and spreading innovation across the health system.

NHS: Negligence

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 on recoverable costs in medical negligence cases.

Ben Gummer: The fixed recoverable cost regime is seeking to streamline claims for clinical negligence, focusing on what is required for a fair and proportionate resolution and encouraging a process that is more resource efficient and that incentivises the right behaviours by all parties. It extends the benefits of fixed cost regimes already realised in other areas of personal injury, as recommended by Lord Justice Jackson,and is not about the number of claims being brought.

Health Education

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations in the report by ukactive entitled Blueprint for an Active Britain, published in November 2015.

Jane Ellison: Departmental officials are currently in the process of organising a meeting with ukactive to discuss the content of the report and wider issues relating to physical activity. I attended and spoke, alongside the Sports Minister, at the recent conference at which this report was launched.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre: Mental Health Services

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of detainees held in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre  are receiving medication for mental health problems; and what proportion of those detainees have had their dosage increased since being held in detention.

Alistair Burt: Information on the number of detainees who are prescribed a particular medicine or any changes in prescriptions is not collected centrally.It is essential that any person detained within the immigration detention estate receives medical attention appropriate to their clinical needs. Health professionals should assess and keep under review the medicines requirements for each individual to determine the best course of action for that patient, taking into account their views and preferences.Health providers at Yarl’s Wood have now established a Health and Wellbeing Group for detainees in recognition of the anxiety levels that many detainees exhibit when they arrive in the establishment. This group supports the detainees to feel less disempowered in their environment and, as such, can pre-empt the escalation of anxiety which when not acknowledged, can lead to more serious mental health presentations.

Health Professions: Regulation

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the regulation of nurses and midwives remains appropriate for the health and social care environment as it evolves.

Ben Gummer: The Department is taking forward a Section 60 Order (of the Health Act 1999) which will remove statutory midwifery supervision from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC’s) governing legislation.The Department is also in discussions with the NMC on what other reforms may be achieved through the Order.The Orderwill be subject to a full public consultation early next year.

Health Professions: Regulation

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what timetable he proposes for legislative reform of the regulation of health care professionals.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will introduce a bill to reform the regulation  of healthcare professionals; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Gummer: This Government is grateful for the work of the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in reviewing the regulation of health and (in England) social care professionals.The Law Commissions made 125 recommendations to reform the existing complex and burdensome regulatory system. The joint four UK country response to the Law Commissions was published on 29 January 2015 which accepted wholly or in part the vast majority of its recommendations.The Department is currently reviewing how best to take forward the work of the Law Commissions. We hope to be able to provide an update on this work soon.

Out-patients: Attendance

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on the NHS of missed outpatient appointments due to (a) public transport and (b) other reasons.

Jane Ellison: The information requested is not held centrally and no assessment has been made.

Off-patent Drugs Bill

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry on the Off-patent Drugs Bill.

George Freeman: The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry attended and contributed to the Department’s Roundtable Event of February 2015 ‘Translating evidence in to clinical practice’ which gathered key stakeholders including Breast Cancer Now and other charities, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the British Generic Manufacturers Association, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and many other NHS organisations.

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures he plans to include in the forthcoming Order under section 60 of the Health Act 1999 to amend the legislation governing the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Ben Gummer: The Section 60 Order will remove statutory midwifery supervision from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC’s) governing legislation.The Department is also in discussions with the NMC on what other reforms may be achieved through the Order.The Order will be subject to a full public consultation early next year.

Mental Health Services

Dr   Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to ensure that the access and waiting time standards for mental health set out in the NHS Five Year Forward plan are implemented in full.

Ben Gummer: The Government provides direction and ambitions for the National Health Service through the NHS Mandate. NHS England are held to account in achieving the NHS Mandate commitments including the new mental health access and waiting time standards detailed in the NHS Mandate for 2015/16. NHS England published guidance in February this year for clinical commissioning groups that set out how the new access and waiting time standards for mental health services are to be introduced and implemented. Implementation of the new access and waiting time standards is supported by an £80 million funding package for 2015/16.

Social Services: Disability

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the report, Disabled people's experiences of social care, published by the disability charity Scope in November 2015.

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that disabled people receive the care they need to live independently.

Alistair Burt: The Department welcomes the report which was funded by the Department, NHS England and Public Health England, as part of the Health and Social Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partnership Programme. The Department and its partners will use the findings of the report to review relevant policies to improve experiences and outcomes for people with disabilities.The Care Act 2014 put personal budgets on a legal basis for the first time, including for disabled people and carers. This drives a focus on personalisation and increases opportunities for greater control and independence, so that people can choose care and support best suited to their needs.The Care Act 2014 introduced a new national eligibility threshold which enables local authorities to maintain continuity of access to support for service users who move between local authorities. This threshold is set out in the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015, and local authorities cannot tighten eligibility criteria beyond this threshold.The Care Act 2014 contains a new duty for local authorities to provide independent advocacy to facilitate and support a person’s involvement in the care and support assessment, planning and review processes. Local authorities must also establish and maintain a service that provides information and advice relating to care and support for adults and support for carers.

Health Professions: Regulation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure parity between the regulation of nurses and midwives and other regulated health professions.

Ben Gummer: The Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have completed a review of the regulation of all health and (in England) social care professionals including nurses and midwives and published their report on 2 April 2014. One of the key recommendations made by the Law Commissions was to introduce much greater consistency between the professional regulators as well as simplifying the legislation.The joint four UK country response to the Law Commissions was published on 29 January 2015 which accepted wholly or in part the vast majority of its recommendations.The Department is currently reviewing how best to take forward the work of the Law Commissions. We hope to be able to provide an update on this work soon.